RADIUS BOOKS

Published by Radius Books.Text by Cameron Shaw. Poem by Inua Ellams.

Published on the occasion of Chris Ofili's exhibition at David Zwirner in New York, this limited-edition catalogue documents a new body of work titled Afro Margin, and is produced in an edition of 500 copies numbered and signed by the artist. Known primarily for his bold, large-scale paintings, in this exquisite suite of eight pencil drawings, made from 2004 to 2007, Ofili is revealed as a master draughtsman.

In this oversized darkly serious artist's book, Chris Ofili riffs on Wassily Kandinsky's famous Blue Rider text, collaborating with the spoken-word artist Louis Antwi, who contributes a poem, and including essays by Carolina Grau, Greg Tate and Bazon Brock. Featuring photographs of sculptures and paintings of African Adams and Eves about to be bitten on the ass by coiled serpants, scenes of passionate love, monkeys, invented superheroes, star-crossed lovers and pimps, Ofili presents a dark, snake-infested Eden.